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Mercy is First Hospital in Northeast Ohio to Achieve CAP 15189(SM) Accreditation to the International Organization For Standards Quality Management

Sep 20, 2011

Mercy is First Hospital in Northeast Ohio to Achieve CAP 15189(SM) Accreditation to the International Organization For Standards Quality Management

Topic: Not Available | Contact: Cindy Hickey

Canton, Ohio: Mercy Medical Center recently became the first hospital in Northeast Ohio to achieve the College of American Pathologists CAP 15189
(SM) accreditation based on the quality standards outlined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The accreditation focuses on improved patient safety and risk reduction, outlining standards for quality and competence particular to medical laboratories.

With support and commitment from Mercy¹s administration, the laboratory team began preparing for the accreditation in 2009. The rigorous review included a written application and several onsite assessments. ³This is not something we took lightly, and our achievement of this goal indicates our continual commitment to quality patient care and service,² said Mary Ann Burich-Boccia, MBA, MT (ASCP), SBB, administrative director. ³Our laboratory professionals and pathologists work behind the scenes to perform quality medical testing and provide accurate results.²

CAP 15189 (SM) is a voluntary, non-regulatory accreditation to the ISO
15189:2007 Standards as published by the International Organization for Standardization. The program does not replace the CAP¹s Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-based Laboratory Accreditation Program, but complements CAP accreditation and other quality systems. The program optimizes processes to improve patient care and strengthen quality standards while reducing institutional errors and risks and controls costs. CAP 15189 is an educational program that offers a highly disciplined approach to implementing and sustaining change.

³Although the 15189 Standard is not currently mandated in the U.S., the CAP believes laboratories that work towards its implementation have committed resources and ideals to a quality system focused on the needs of the patient,² said William Castellani, M.D., FCAP, chair of the CAP 15189 Committee. ³The college is proud to acknowledge those laboratories that have taken this system to heart and demonstrated that this dedication to quality is embraced throughout the facility.²

Mercy Medical Center, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has 620 members on its Medical Staff and employs 2,500 people. Mercy operates outpatient health centers in Carroll County, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville, North Canton, Plain Township and Tuscarawas County. A Catholic hospital, Mercy Medical Center upholds the mission and philosophy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and continues to be responsive to the needs of the community. For more information, see cantonmercy.org.